When you hear the phrase ‘adventure racing’, you’d be forgiven for instantly picturing elite athletes in remote locations. Certainly, if you’ve watched The World’s Toughest Race with Bear Grylls, or the movie Arthur the King featuring Mark Wahlberg, the sport of adventure racing does seem intimidating to the everyday runner.

It’s true that expedition style adventure racing can tough and gnarly. But here in the UK, we actually have a series of far more realistic and fun one-day events. If you’ve never considered it, then grab a friend or partner and put an adventure race on your list immediately. It’s surprisingly achievable, amazingly empowering and brilliant fun.

Read on for adventure racing FAQs, or keep scrolling to read more about why I love it and think everyone should have a go.

Adventure racing FAQs

Is adventure racing the same as obstacle course racing?

To be clear, adventure racing is not to be confused with obstacle course racing, which many people are more familiar with (think Tough Mudder). It does not involve crawling under netting, hanging from monkey bars, clambering over 10ft walls or being electrocuted. If it does, you’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere!

What is adventure racing?

Adventure racing brings the disciplines of running/hiking, cycling and kayaking together with map reading skills. It’s intellectual, physical and strategic. In the simplest terms it’s orienteering on bike, foot and kayak and you can do it as a team, pair or solo. Adventure racing is also family-friendly – the minimum age to participate at some events is 8 years old. It’s flexible, it’s fun and you can choose to do as much or as little as you want.

How does it work?

An adventure race is like a giant orienteering event taking up to 6 hours. Using a map and compass (digital navigation is not allowed) the aim is to find as many ‘checkpoints’ as possible in a set time. There are checkpoints to be found by foot, bike and kayak, all dotted around the countryside. Each checkpoint has a point value, and the goal is to get as many points as you can, technically known as a score course.

How can I do it in the UK?

In the UK ,we only have one event organiser doing this regularly. Questars is run by husband-and-wife team Joe and Kim Selby, and they have created something quite special.

There is an event every month and they tend to be around the southern and midlands areas of England and Wales.

Genuinely welcoming and friendly, it appeals to people of all ages, families, friends, partners. Mums and daughters, fathers and sons and couples often race together in pairs, as well as solo competitors or groups of friends or whole families.

You can make it what you want it to be – a fun day out with mates, or more competitive and serious. There really is something for everyone.

How long is an adventure race?

Adventure racing is measured in time, rather than distance. This is because the distance you’ll travel will vary depending on how you approach it. With Questars, the novice ‘taster’ format is 5 hours and involves run, kayak and bike – perfect for first timers. The standard event – known as masters – is 6 hours.

Don’t let the 5- or 6-hour duration put you off, though. It’s not like suddenly running a race for 6 hours! You can go at your own pace.Some participants even stop for a coffee shop or pub visit.

There are also options to do running-only, biking-only, or run/bike only, which are shorter.

What skills do I need to have to do adventure racing?

You need to be able to read an OS map and (vaguely) find your way around public footpaths, byways and bridleways. The organisers of your race will help you at the beginning if you’re new, and you quickly get the hang of it.

You also need to be able to do your chosen combination of the activities: hiking/trail running, mountain biking and kayaking. Questars do give you guidance if you’ve never paddled before though, so no need to panic if that’s not something already in your wheelhouse.

What equipment do I need?

First of all you need some good trail running shoes or hiking shoes. Most of the route is off-road. You’ll also need a mountain bike and helmet. Organisers often offer bike hire at each event so don’t stress if you don’t have your own. Kayaks, flotation jackets and paddles are usually provided by the organisers.

Most organisers will ask for a mandatory kit bag that usually comprises a first aid kit, a jacket, a compass and a whistle, as well as food and drink.

Extra items I’d recommend are a map board for your bike (these can also be rented), highlighter pens to mark the route on the map and gloves for the bike and kayak.

What are the rules in an adventure racing event?

The goal is to collect as many points as you can in the allotted time. Each ‘checkpoint’ has a point value and it’s up to you to choose the route and find them. At a checkpoint you’ll find a small blue box tied to a lamppost, tree, fence or floating buoy. You insert your ‘digital dibber’ to prove you’ve been there. There are some rules to keep things fair:

• You must stay together as a team or pair – you cannot split up to gather the checkpoints.
• You can collect the map one hour before the start time to plan your route. Once you start and the clock starts, you get the checkpoint values.
• Your time window is strict – arrive back late and you lose lots of points. I speak from humiliating experience here!
• Digital navigation devices or phone GPS are not allowed.

How can I enter an event?

You can find out more via the Questars website. They’ve kindly given me a 10% code to share with Women’s Running readers. Use code WomensRunning10 when booking on to an event.

Why I love adventure racing

Finding new joy in running

I’ve been running on and off for over 35 years. My first marathon was NYC in 1995. Since then, I’ve dabbled in ultras, multi day endurance running, road and trail marathons, competitive club running, triathlon, duathlon and a bit of orienteering.

As I got older, I found I was slowing down and running was beginning to lose its joy. I started looking for something different. I wanted something that was flexibly competitive,. Something I could do with my husband. And something where being ‘ahem’ older might even be an advantage.

My first race

I’d heard about these monthly events organised by a company called Questars. Everyone said how friendly and welcoming they were. I persuaded my husband to give it a go, and we entered as a ‘novice mixed pair’ with very little clue about what we were doing. Our first event was on the South Downs in West Sussex. We did the ‘taster’ event involving 5 hours of running, mountain biking and kayaking. My husband had never been in a kayak before, and we were hit with a hailstorm in the middle of it. It was cold, harder than we had anticipated and we got lost… and we loved every minute of it.

Getting hooked

That was 2 years ago, and we’ve become a bit hooked. It’s hard to explain just how much it’s done for us as a couple, but also individually. Building confidence and developing new skills, bonding together and making new friends. We’re fitter, closer, happier and our brains get a monthly workout that running alone would never provide. The vibe at the events is incredibly supportive, people look out for each other and offer help and advice, and nobody would ever leave you lost or alone.

It’s not just about getting fitter

Getting better at adventure racing isn’t just about being fitter… there are so many variables to work on which makes it addictive and great if you’re at the stage where you’re looking for a bit more than just running. Navigation, route planning, strategy, kit choice, fuelling and hydration the list goes on and there’s always something to improve.

I often joke an adventure race is like doing a day of marriage therapy. If you’re in a pair or team you have to work together to find the checkpoints, kayak in sync, not get lost or argue, but make the right decisions and support each other, which admittedly doesn’t always go to plan. I’ve also done it on my own when husband has been injured, and as a solo female it’s been amazingly empowering and confidence building.

Don’t expect bling, cheering crowds or Mark Wahlberg (unfortunately). Instead, you’ll get stunning countryside, a way to challenge your brain and body in a completely new way and an immaculately organised event with the nicest group of people you could ever hope to meet.